British mobile manufacturer Wileyfox has just launched the Wileyfox Swift 2 and Swift 2 Plus, the 2016 follow-ups to last year’s rather good – and pleasingly affordable – Wileyfox Swift phone. Here’s all you need to know about the Wileyfox Swift 2 and Swift 2 Plus, including full specs, the best features, how it compares to the first Wileyfox Swift, and the UK price and release date.

What is the Wileyfox Swift 2 and Swift 2 Plus?

Last year, new British mobile brand Wileyfox leapt onto the scene with two affordable mobiles – the Wileyfox Swift and the Wileyfox Storm. The Swift was the cheaper of the two at just £125 SIM-free here in the UK. Despite that it crammed in plenty of great features, including a crisp 720p display and the brilliant Cyanogen OS.

Just over a year later, the UK mobile firm has just launched the Wileyfox Swift 2 and a model with boosted specs known as the Wileyfox Swift 2 Plus. Besides the rather disappointing Wileyfox Spark, this is the only major phone launch that Wileyfox has made in 2016 – and so far the Swift 2 and Swift 2 Plus have serious promise, building on the solid foundations of the existing Swift while keeping that low price point.

Here’s the full Wileyfox Swift 2 and Swift 2 Plus specs, what the difference is between them, how they compare with the original Swift and how you can get your hands on them here in the UK.

Wileyfox Swift 2 and Swift 2 Plus specs: What’s the difference?

As you can see below, the only difference between the Swift 2 and Swift 2 Plus is with the memory and storage on-board, plus the rear camera megapixel count. Both phones are the same size, like the Moto G4 and G4 Plus, with 5-inch 720p screens, fingerprint sensors and metallic design.

So, how do the two new Swift 2 phones compare with the original Swift handset from 2015?

For a start, the Swift 2 models are made of metal, with a sleek aluminium frame instead of the soft-touch plastic body of the original Swift. You now get a fingerprint sensor to unlock both the Swift 2 and Swift 2 Plus, something missing from the original Swift.

Performance has been updated, with the Snapdragon 410 of last year’s Swift replaced with a Snapdragon 430 octa-core processor. The first phone was a bit laggy and we’re really hoping that the Swift 2 and Swift 2 Plus can run Cyanogen without any stutter.

Screen size and resolution hasn’t changed, but you now get a choice of 13-megapixel or 16-megapixel cameras, while last year’s Swift came with a 13-megapixel lens.

The Wileyfox Swift 2 also updates the USB connection to Type-C, and the battery charges with Quick Charge 3.0. So you can expect it to fill up in just over an hour.

Wileyfox Swift 2 and Swift 2 Plus UK price and release date

The Wileyfox Swift 2 will cost you £159 here in the UK, or €189 in Europe.

The Wileyfox Swift 2 Plus will cost you £189 here in the UK.

You can pre-order both phones today on Amazon, and you should receive your new Wileyfox phone next week.